Students learn hip hop dance techniques from Ms. Tina
A student learns about graphic design at The Lab.
Students practice yoga at The Lab with intern and instructor, Geri.
A Lab student and his mentor, Eleanor.
Students, teachers and volunteers build and plant an organic garden.
A student shows off the pillow she made in a Sewing Group.
Students and volunteers writing poetry in the Writer’s Lab.
Students learn to use digital cameras and photo editing in the Tech Lab.
Volunteer fiber artists teach knitting, sewing, embroidery and felting.
The studio is a professional space for students to record their work.
A student explores beading in the Visual Lab.
High school students participate in a Morning Enrichment.
Aug
11
Listen Up! Ahnung & Marilou on Radio August 12th!
By mary | Filed Under Lab Stories, Radio Show | Comments Off
Ahnung & Marilou (one of the Therapy Dog Teams that provides Animal Assisted Education at The Lab) are at it again!
Hear more about their work at The Lab on the Radio tomorrow at 1 pm.
Click on the link below to read Ahnung’s blog & to get more radio details!
http://ahnung-northstar.blogspot.com/2010/08/on-radio-pets-as-ambassadors.html
May
24
Click the gray arrow below to enjoy a creative poem/recording by Jackson 6th grade poets!
May
24
Click the gray arrow below to hear this great poem! It was written by a Jackson 6th Grader who came to The Lab to write, record and perform.
May
21
The Lab High School Poets Mentor 6th Graders from Jackson Elementary
By mary | Filed Under Uncategorized | Comments Off
In May, we participated in a wonderful collaboration between The Lab and Sarah Walbrusch’s 6th grade classroom from Jackson Elementary. The Lab staff, volunteers and four Lab High School Poets, mentored the 6th graders in writing, poetry/spoken word performance and recording. It was an amazing experience. We are proud of the 6th graders and all of the great poetry that they wrote, recorded and performed. We are proud of our 4 High School Poet/Mentors, Josh, Stephan, Donte and Rickeisha (pictured below). These students were stellar role models & terrific mentors. Keep an eye out for more photos, video, audio clips and poetry featuring the Jackson students.
Here’s one poem written
by a Jackson 6th Grader:
What Matters to me
is my family and friends.
What matters to me
is nature and life.
What matters to me
is my brother and sister.
What matters to me
is by baby sitter.
What matters to me
is my family who is in Mexico.
What matters to me
is The Lab.
What matters to me is
me, myelf and I.
May
16
Battle Creek Students Show Art at Hightpoint Center for Printmaking
By mary | Filed Under Lab Stories, Photos | Comments Off
In March and April, five middle school students from the Battle Creek PAS program participated in an exciting and unique Art Residency at The Lab. The group was facilitated by Tess Pease, social worker, and Geriann, a Social Work graduate student intern at The LAB. The students were exposed to several art materials and projects, mostly grounded in the art form of printmaking. For example, one of the projects allowed the students to create their own t-shirt designs.
This Battle Creek Lab Visual Art residency culminated in a field trip to a place called Highpoint Center for Printmaking in Minneapolis.
While students were there, they learned how to mix colors of ink to print collagraphs that they had prepared at The Lab the previous week. (Collagraphs are a collage of shapes cut out of thick cardboard, glued onto a main board, and rolled with ink to make an image on paper after going through the press). The raised image on the board prints onto the paper after being inked. The students also learned how to run their own Collagraphs through the printing press, which was a definite highlight for them to actually bring the print to life.
The work of two of the Battle Creek students is currently being shown in the gallery at Highpoint as part of a student show running now until the end of May. We are very proud of these students, and look forward to a continued partnership with Highpoint next year.
May
3
I Come Here To:
I come here to write
I come here to express how I feel
I come here to have fun
I come here to be heard
I come here to be free
I come here to learn more about myself
I come here to be myself
I come here to learn and get better at writing
I come here to learn more about my friends
When I come here, I feel safe
When I come here, I feel free to just be me
When I come here, I see who I am and who I can be
When I write, I can be myself
To me, writing is a way of life
To me, writing can be whatever I want it to be
I speak through my writing
To me, writing is a way to show who I am
I am who I am and only I can change it.
~ A
Apr
30
Check out this video of youth poets performing their poetry and raps at The Lab! It runs around 9 1/2 minutes.
This is a special SHOUT OUT to our friends at Jackson Elementary!
Apr
16
The Poetry Lab:
By mary | Filed Under Lab Stories, Mary's Blog | Comments Off
Students shuffle into the Writer’s Lab and file into one of eight, cushioned, office chairs placed around a rectangular conference table. Some greet the co-facilitators in the room and enquire about the group’s activities for the day while others quietly slouch into chairs and wait for the group to begin. One student trickles in after all the rest, plops down in the last available seat and immediately puts his head down on the table.
The group begins.
“Everyone in the circle is equal… No one’s voice is more important than anyone else’s… Everyone in the circle is a teacher… Everyone in the circle is a student… Everyone has his or her turn to speak… When one is speaking, all others listen… The circle is sacred and special.”
Most of the students reference a brightly colored poster hanging in the Writer’s Lab to recite the creed, but some know it by heart.
The guidelines in the group are used to support and encourage students to establish social connections and build community. With these group norms, the Poetry Lab becomes a safe place for students to get over their fears about reading and writing and gain confidence in their literacy. Read more
Apr
9
Students and Lab staff took a field trip to the Como Conservatory in St. Paul to put their new photography techniques to use. Check out this gallery of photos from their tip:
Apr
5
Fundraising Success with Ahnung
By mary | Filed Under Lab Stories | Comments Off
We want to send a BIG Thank you & shout out to Ahnung, and to our wonderful volunteer, Marilou, for their fundraising efforts. With their fun effort to get more Facebook Fans for Ahnung, they successfully raised $55.00 for The Lab’s spring poetry & art anthology. Thanks, too, to all of you who became Ahnung’s Facebook Fan. You made a difference! The Lab’s spring poetry & art anthology is off to the printer and has been fully funded with your generosity!
Read more about their successful Facebook campaign here –
http://ahnung-northstar.blogspot.com/2010/03/help-homeless-animals-and-at-risk-youth.html
